Leeds have pledged themselves to be in the vanguard of the battle against boring rugby this season. The club's chief executive, Gary Hetherington, hit out yesterday at the defensive play which he believes has been stifling the game and received the immediate support of the Rhinos' new coach, Brian McDermott.

"The last few years in Super League have been dominated by an influx of defensive coaching techniques which effectively strangle the life out of the opposition," Hetherington said, in an apparent swipe at Wigan, who ended Leeds' three-year title reign last season. "Whilst these tactics are very effective, they do nothing for the spectacle.

"I think Brian and his staff are up for the challenge to deliver winning results through an exciting, innovative and creative style of play and buck the trend of recent years." McDermott declared himself up for the challenge. "It's a club philosophy, not just Gary Hetherington," he said.